


Smile, and the whole world smiles with you

by itsamagicalplace



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Angst and Fluff, Christmas, F/M, Philinda Secret Santa, Season 2 spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2014-12-23
Packaged: 2018-03-02 22:47:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2828774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsamagicalplace/pseuds/itsamagicalplace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A mission goes wrong, Melinda gets hurt, and Phil decides that as it’s Christmas, it’s time to tell the truth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Smile, and the whole world smiles with you

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Philinda Secret Santa challenge over on Tumblr, for user didyousayoreos :)

They’d just returned from what only could be described as a disaster of a mission, although they were having a lot more of them recently. Their informant had double-crossed them, and there had been another team of Hydra agents attempting to kill them.

So, just the usual.

It was a good thing they were more wary now; a few years ago, they would have showed up to a meet like that unarmed.

Times had changed now. Everything had.

Fitz had broken his arm - again - in the same places as the previous two times, jumping from a second floor window of the building, and Jemma had almost done the same when she followed him. At least the two were talking again; May wasn’t happy they were in the field at all, and today had only solidified her worries, but the fact they could communicate without the awkward silences and cut-short conversations was definitely a bonus.

Bobbi had used her batons to incapacitate multiple Hydra agents, with Lance by her side armed with his favourite gun, the two circling each other in a dance they had clearly perfected several years ago. They worked better now they were back in a relationship, despite how rocky that seemed to be, and the whole base knew better than to question their choices.

The main problem with the assignment had occurred when they were almost out, May relaying the details to Coulson across comms - he was back at base - when a sniper they had missed took up position on the roof above them, and pulled the trigger.

Skye had unintentionally prompted a mini earthquake when she watched May get shot. She was still learning to control her new powers, but they appeared to be exacerbated by strong emotional situations. In fairness, the ground shaking had probably saved them all, because it distracted the enemy for long enough that Lance had put a bullet between his eyes, and they’d managed to escape.

The bullet in question had scraped her shoulder, burning the skin and slicing through, splitting her favourite jacket and turning her mood from annoyed to downright pissed off, but it wasn’t too deep. May knew she had definitely had a hell of a lot worse, and after a few seconds of Coulson shouting down the radio, desperate to find out if she was okay, she’d replied, her language a lot more colourful than previously.

After only a few minutes in the medical bay once they returned, May, the master of escaping situations she didn’t want to be in, had convinced Jemma to let her go with just a bandage and some healing cream. She had left Simmons alone with Fitz, who was wincing as his arm was prepared for splinting once more. 

The kids had been through so much, it wasn’t fair.

Skye had disappeared, like she so often did after unintentionally using her new found powers, but Trip had promised to find her and ensure she was okay. May trusted Trip entirely, and she knew Skye did too, so she let him go.

Coulson was in his office when she found him, jacket strewn casually across a chair - not like him, he usually folded - and tie loosened off, pacing across the floor and wearing the already thin carpet even thinner. May could only describe his demeanor to be anxious.

She frowned as she entered the office, closing the door softly behind her once she was inside.

“Are you okay?” May asked, walking a little closer to Coulson before perching on the corner of one of the desks in front of him. Something else must have happened, for him to pace; she knew he did it when anxious about things, and he knew first hand that nothing else had happened on the mission.

Phil just nodded at her, running a hand through his hair as he let his gaze settle on her shoulder, and frowned.

“How are you?” he asked, indicating towards the white bandage resting beneath the straps of her vest.

She shrugged, wincing slightly at the motion. “Okay. It’s not deep.”

“You got shot.”

His words came out pained, and quiet, and she could see a look of hurt flash across his face. He’d heard the team’s reaction when she was hit; she’d kept it together and growled through the pain as she made sure they all escaped without further injury, but there had definitely been a scream from Skye.

May knew how much worse it could seem when on the outside, blind to visually witnessing events unfolding, the sole assistance being auditory. And a scream did not help things seem like they were under control.

“I’m okay, Phil.”

He looked at her doubtfully, repeating his previous words, this time with an addition on the end. “You got shot, again.”

“Habit” she replied, attempting to make some kind of joke about the situation; it was how they always used to deal with things, back in the day. Not so much now.

He shook his head instead, so she didn’t continue down that path. The look on his face told her he wasn’t going to make light of it this time.

“I’ve been thinking.”

“Okay…” she nodded slowly.

“About you.”

She sat upright more. Thinking about her? In what way? The hammering that had begun in her chest was immediately chastised by her brain when she considered his words. He probably meant it in another sense. In fact, he almost certainly meant that she’d jeopardized the mission or something and he needed to reprimand her. She’d take it. That would be all.

“Melinda.”

He’d called her by her first name, which was definitely the first time in over a year. That realisation accompanied the one that whatever he was going to say was personal, not professional. She felt something inside her chest constrict slightly, and looked up to find him intently watching her.

“Phil.”

“It’s Christmas, right?”

“Yes” she replied slowly, not too sure why he was stating the complete and utter obvious. “It is.”

It was December 23rd. So it was almost Christmas. Not that they would all be celebrating; they’d lost too much to really feel like partying, and there was always the wonderful Hydra threat that loomed over them consuming happiness like they consumed agents.

Although Skye had insisted on a tree.

“And at Christmas,” he continued, taking a small step towards her, a slightly nervous expression on his face. “You tell the truth.”

“O…kay?”

Her heart was now trying to jump out of her chest, but she kept a straight face and held her composure steady.

“You go into the field day after day, and I know it’s your job” he added, when it became clear she was about to interrupt him. “I know it is, and I know you can handle yourself and the team.” He swallowed, before taking another step. “But today, when I heard the shot, and Skye shouted that you were hit…” he trailed off, and shook his head with a frown. “It made me think - it made me realise.”

“Realise what, Phil?” Her voice seemed to have disappeared, and it came out a lot huskier than she had intended. And he definitely noticed. 

He shot his gaze back up to meet hers, and she could see the corners of his mouth begin to tug upwards slightly as he stepped closer. He was right in front of her now. Somehow, she knew what he was going to say; she’d imagined it enough times, in the dark of night when she had let her mind wander without consequence, but she’d never actually thought the moment would come.

“It made me realise, that I cannot lose you out there, Melinda.”

He reached a hand out slowly, bringing it up to her face, and tucking her dark hair back behind her ear, being careful to avoid touching the bandage where her new gunshot was protected.

“Phil…”

“Not just because you’re the best agent here, but because…” he took a deep breath, and stared right into her eyes. “Melinda… you mean a lot to me too.”

She was shocked at his words, staring back at him with wide eyes, unbelieving that a) he remembered what she had told him all those months ago, and b) that this was actually happening.

Her lack of any form of disagreement of rejection provided him some kind of confirmation, and Phil leaned down slowly, tilting her head up towards him with his fingers, and gently caressing her lips with his own.

It had taken them long enough. And despite the length of time they had been friends, it wasn’t weird or awkward in the slightest.

She reached out for his shirt, and pulled him closer, letting him stand between her legs as she kissed him back, slightly more forcefully than he had her. His hands trailed up into her hair, holding her against him, and she wiggled forwards on the desk so she could wrap her arms around his neck.

She wanted this more than anything right now.

“You’re smiling,” he murmured happily, after he finally pulled back, watching as she looked at him in slight abashment; he’d not seen her smile like that in years.

Melinda reached up her hand to cover her mouth, realising he was right; there was the biggest smile across her lips she could remember having in a very long time. Phil took her hand, and lowered it back down.

“Don’t hide it, I love your smile.”

“I know you do.” He always used to tell her that. After Bahrain, he’d mentioned more than once that he missed her smile.

She just missed herself.

“You don’t do it enough.”

“I’m doing it now” she countered, raising an eyebrow at him as his fingertips traced her jaw absently.

“Why?”

He knew full well why, but it was just like him to try and get her to admit it out loud, knowing exactly how much she disliked using words to express herself. She resisted rolling her eyes at him, but relented with a small shake of her head.

“You’re the reason I’m smiling, Phil.”

“Really?” He had that childish grin on his face again.

Melinda nodded.

“Really.”


End file.
